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Confusion in Turkey About Possible Resolution to Ban Head Scarves

Turkey appears to be moving to resolve the contentious issue over whether observant Muslim women can wear head scarves at public universities, reports The Wall Sreet Journal and Hurriyet, a Turkish English-language newspaper. The head of Turkey’s Higher Education Board ordered Istanbul University to stop its professors from kicking students out of their classes for any reason. The order followed a complaint from a student who was sent out of class last year for wearing a hat, which is worn by some students as a stand-in for the head scarf. However, Yusuf Ziya Özcan, the head of Turkey’s education board, said that no decision had in fact been made about the head scarf. Mr. Özcan blamed the news media for the confusion. As part of its strict secular tradition, Turkey bans the wearing of head scarves at public institutions.